Motor-truck.



C. T. ELDREDGE.

MOTOR TRUCK.

APPLICATION FILED APR.17.1915.

Patented Dec. 21, 1915.

3 SHEETSSHEET I.

, a 7 l. I HQWI-MWFNN 3 A TTOR/VEY6.

c. T. ELDREDGE.

MOTOR TRUCK.

APPLICATION FILED APR- 17, 1915.

Patented 1160121, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2..

IIVVENTOR aiilllclv'ealga By ATTORNEK-S.

C. T. ELDREDGE.

MOTOR TRUCK.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 17, mm.

Patented Dec. 21, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- ATTOk/VEKS.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH cm. WASHXNUTON. n. C.

ran snares CLYDE T. ELDREDGE, GF MOUNTAIN RANCH, CALIFORNIA.

MOTOR-TRUCK.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, CLYDE T. ltnnnnnon, a

citizen of the United States, and a resident of Mountain Ranch, in the county of oalaveras and State of California,.have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Motor-Trucks, of which the following is a specification.

motor and freight, permits the use of metal tires with the consequent saving, prevents torsional strains on the frame, reduces theweight and cost of construction and upkeep,

- and materially lengthens the life of the vehicle, and a further advantage lies in the fact-that 1 may use iarger wheelswith metal tires which adapt the vehicle torough, mountainous, and stony roads.

- i-ifurther advantage lies in the fact that I locate the delicate-oli ine at a )ointfarthest removed from the axles and thus practically eliminate any effect thereon of road conditions.

A further advantage is that the major part of a load is carried by the rear wheels, hus resulting in better'traction and insur ing increased speed ,of the vehicle, as well as power. A. further advantage lies in the fact that I can make a much shorter turn than is possible with four wheeled vehicles as now constructed.

My invention is fully d "ibed in the following specification, of which the accompanying drawings form a part, in which like reference characters are used to designate like parts in each of the views, and in which Figure constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is a similar view of the motor truck chassis, parts being in section to show details; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the motor truck; F 4-. is a fragmentary, perspective, view of the rear axle mount; Fig. 5

. is a similar View of the manner of pivotally mounting the front wheel supporting frame;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective, view Specification of Letters Patent.

1 is a plan view of a motor truck section taken approximately on the line.

T.? of Fig. 6; Fig. 8 isan enlarged section taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 6; Fig. 9 is an enlarged section taken on the line 9-9 of Fig. 3; Fig. 10 is a section taken on the line 101O of Fig. 9; Fig. 11 is a section taken on the line 1111 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 12 is a section taken on the line 12-12 of Fig.

In the drawings forming a part of this application I have shown a present preferred embodiment of my invention, comprising a frame 13 supported at the rear hereof by an axle ll having wheels 15 revo luble thereon provided with sprocket-wheels 16 enmeshed with endless chains 17 in turn I frictionally engaged by brake-bands 28 ac sired form. c

The forward ends'of the. beams of the frame 18 have. each, a leaf spring 81 secured thereto bymeans of bolts '32, said springs being proiected forwardly of said frame beams and in operative connection with coil springs 33 also in operative connection with adjustable eye-bolts 3i carried in a transverse bar The bar 35, adjacent its ends, rests upon two beams 36 pivoted, each, at the rear end, by means of a bolt 37 carried by'fa socketed plate 38 held by the bolts 32, a rubber or other cushion 39 being provided to serve as an mti-rattler, and it will be seen that the beams 36' aremovable in a vertical plane,

each, this construction being shown in detail in Fig. The beams 36 are upwardly and forwardly inclined and are secured to the front wheelhead 'Il0 in which is antifrictionally mounted the vertical shaft 1-1 having a bevel gear 42 at the top thereof and the usual fork 43 at the bottom thereof as now used upon bicycles, and I also employ brace rods 44 between the beams 36 and the head 10.

Secured to the rear side of the head 40 is a bracket which carries a bearing for a shaft 26 carrying a bevel pinion 47 en- .tuated by levers 29, and pedal 30 of any de- PATENT ornron.

Patented Dec. 21,1915.

- Application filed April 17, 1915. Serial No. 22,015.

meshed with the bevel gear 42, said shaft 46 being connected with the steering-rod 48 by means of a universal joint 49 and which rod is provided with a steering-wheel 50.

The fork 43 carries a fender 51 and both arms, thereof are vertically slotted at their; lower ends as shown at 52 to receive the ends of the front axle 53 having a wheel 54 there- 7 on, said axle ends being held in keepers 55 secured to the respective arms of the fork 43. By means of this construction it will be seen that the front wheel may move verti- 'cally for a considerable distance with respect to the frame 13 and without any elfect on the latter, because of the leaf springs 31 and the coil-springs 33, thereby resulting in easy riding of the frame 13, and it will .be noted that the engine is mounted at a point far removed from the front wheel 54, thus two longitudinally arranged elliptic springs 61 and two transverse elliptic springs 62 for a box 63 adapted to receive the load or freight, but it will be noted by reference to Fig. 4 that the springs 61 are not mounted directly upon the frame beams but upon the axle 14, thus relieving the frame of the strain of the load and imposing the same 'on the axle. v v I Because of the single front wheel, the torsion common upon the frames of fourwheeled vehicles is avoided, and'the elimination of one wheel, the fender therefor,

and the greater part of the conventional front axle, results in a lighter vehicle without anysacrifice of strength,,in a correspondlng economy of manufacture, and in the saving of fuel and lubricant, and at the same time insuring longer life to the vehicle and engine because of the practical elimination of jolting, and enabling the turning of the vehicle in about its own length.

As shown in Fig. 4, I provide a support 64 on each beam of the frame for-a thread-' ed bolt 65 bearing upon the corresponding 1 end of the axle and locked by means of nuts 66 and 67, these'bolts serving. as tensioning means for the endless chains 17 and thereby preventing the rattling thereof.

My motor truck is highly eflicient and is well adapted for mountainous or country roads and for light an'd rapid hauling where horses are too slow and rubber tired vehicles are too expensiveinmaintenance, my wheels limit myself thereto, but may make changes thereover, within the scope of the following claims, without departing fromothe spirit of the invention or sacrificing its advantages.

Having fully described my invention what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is o 1. In a motor vehicle, a frame,'two wheels supporting the rear end thereof, two forwardly directed arms in pivotal connection therewith adjacent the front end thereof, a

head carried by said'arms, a front wheel journaled insaid head, a leaf spring on'each side of said frame, at the front end thereof, a coil spring connecting said leaf springs with the respective arms, and a steering-rod in operative; connection with said front wheel.

2. Ina motor vehicle, a frame, two wheels supporting the rear thereof, a leafspring on each side of the forward end there0f,'a

socketedplate over said leaf spring on each leaf'springs, and plates together, a pivot carried by each plate, a forwardly directed beam pivotally mounted on each bolt, ahead carried by said beams, a wheel journaled in .90 side of said frame, bolts'look ng said frame, r

said head, a steering-rod in operative conbeams. I N a In testimony whereof I have signed my ,nection with said wheel, and a coil spring" oining the respective leaf springs and name to this specification in the presence of s two subscribing witnesses.

' CLYDE T. ELDREDGE. WVitnesses: r 7

CHARLES F. Bossn, LOUIE ARMSTRONG;

Copies of this patent may be obtained 'for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

- I Washington, D. G. 

